When it comes to original series, life has been good for Netflix. So it’s hard to understand why the company would go out of its way to invite misfortune and sadness to its service.

But that’s exactly what is happening, as the company released the first teaser for its upcoming adaptation of “A Series of Unfortunate Events” Tuesday (Oct. 4), providing a subtle glimpse of what’s to come.

The show is based on the best-selling books by Lemony Snicket (aka Daniel Handler) and follows the tragic tale of the Baudelaire orphans – Violet, Klaus and Sunny – as they try to uncover the true cause of their parent’s death. But they have to do so while their guardian, the despicable Count Olaf (Neil Patrick Harris), tries everything in his power to steal their fortune.

It’s a surprisingly dark story for a book series aimed at children, and Snicket (played by Patrick Warburton) warns viewers in the teaser below that the upcoming television series will be no different.

“Please don’t make the same mistake that Netflix has, and look away before this dire tale is even filmed, and avoid the cruel whimsy and whimsical cruelty of what’s to come,” he says as he breaks the fourth wall.